It’s really not very fair to Deadwood, but the town wins so many honors and recognitions that I have a hard time noticing all of them. Take the Top Western Town recognition bestowed upon it by True West magazine this month. Even though the award is old hat by now, I felt like I had to delay writing about it for a little while. After all, Deadwood’s just come off winning a best rodeo award from the PRCA. I need a little break if I’m going to do suitable appreciating - especially in the middle of awards season.
Of course, the Top Western Town honor is nothing to sneeze at. Deadwood rates #2 on the list, up from #7 last year. It shares this year’s honors with towns like Durango, Dodge City and Cheyenne - rated #6, #5 and #4, respectively. That’s some pretty good company.
Who beat out Deadwood for the top spot? Saint Joseph, the Missouri town that was the westernmost point in the US accessible by rail until after the Civil War. It’s not a town that I know much about, but the True West list isn’t about fame. According to the magazine’s press release, their judging criteria include how each town has preserved its history through older buildings and districts, museums, events, and how it promotes its historic resources to visitors.
The True Western Towns list appears in the January/February issue of True West Magazine.
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Personally, I think Deadwood should have been number one. All I have to do is point out the good efforts of the community to preserve the old west heritage. Deadwood also has some unique “old west” charms that most other such towns lack; gambling. Let’s face it, gambling was a part of the old west! I am a regular subscriber to ‘True West’ and dearly love the magazine but I really think they just didn’t spend enough time in Deadwood themselves!